If you’re looking for a mouth-watering chilli paneer recipe that is both hearty and full of flavour, look no further. I have spent the past few months perfecting my paneer recipe, and trust me, this won’t disappoint. As a university student, I know cooking can be tedious, so I have perfected a quick and easy recipe that pairs beautifully with plain basmati rice or fresh naan bread.

Chilli paneer is a popular Indo-Chinese dish enjoyed across India. It consists of paneer (a type of Indian cheese), peppers, onions and a rich spicy sauce. Follow the steps below to create this dish yourself!

Ingredients:

• 1 block of paneer
• 3 tbsp cornflour
•  ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the Sauce:

• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tsp Maggi hot sauce (or your preferred hot sauce)
• 3-4 cloves of fresh garlic
• 1 white onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper

Method:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat.

2. Cut up the block of paneer into bite-sized cubes and place into bowl.

3. Add the cornflour, turmeric, garam masala, curry powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper to the bowl, and shake until the paneer is fully coated. It should have a red/ orange appearance. A useful tip is to place the paneer into some Tupperware with the spices and then shake- it’s a much quicker way of doing it!

4. Place the paneer into the pan and shallow fry on medium heat for around 7 minutes, until the paneer is brown and crispy on all sides but still soft in the middle. If you have a small pan, fry in two batches. Once done, set the paneer aside on a plate.

5. In the same pan, add the minced garlic and sauté.

6. Meanwhile, chop the white onion and peppers into cubes. Once cut, add them to the garlic, but don’t cook the vegetables for too long, as we want them to have a slight crunch.

7. In a separate pan, add all the sauce ingredients together- tomato ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, honey, sweet chilli sauce and hot sauce. Give it a good stir making sure the sugar is completely dissolved; it should be a deep red colour.

8. Once the sauce is ready, add it to the pan with the sautéed onion and pepper, alongside the fried paneer. Cook for another few minutes, until the paneer is fully coated in the sauce.

9. Garnish with fresh spring onions, and you’re done!

Keep tasting and tweaking the sauce to ensure it’s exactly the way you like it!

Find more recipes here:

Recipe: The Perfect Chai | Redbrick Food&Drink

Recipe: Vegan Butter Tofu Curry | Redbrick Food&Drink

Recipe: Leek and Potato Soup | Redbrick Food&Drink